All over the globe, businesses are reaping the benefits of marketing through the various social media outlets. One of the top social media venues is YouTube.
There are literally millions of people who visit the YouTube site daily to look at these free videos… and there are many others with accounts and that are subscribers. Uploading free videos that promote your business or products onto YouTube is, in essence, the same as having a free commercial on television.
However, it is inadvisable to make it feel like it is a commercial to the viewer. As an internet marketer, it is crucial that you realize there are various drawbacks which counterbalance the benefits of marketing your business on YouTube.
We’ll cover the four mistakes that internet marketers need to avoid so they can successfully market on YouTube.
First Mistake: Thinking that a video upload equates to a steady stream of traffic to your website.
The mind boggling statistic is that every second there is 1 hour of video uploaded to YouTube. This generates a competitive state foe the marketer that is almost incomprehensible. In this environment, many high-quality videos will only get a couple thousand or fewer views.
This being the case, there is a crucial need to create video content geared to what the viewer wants to see… and not what you want to upload for them.
The creative progression of your video should have the needs and desires of the viewer at the forefront of the process.
In addition to this, there is the critical need to promote your video on other social media sites.
It is also imperative to realize that you have to have a great video concept. Time is essential for the whole process to succeed, and it takes resources to create and promote a video that will go viral when viewers share it with others.
Second Mistake: Thinking that your business is too small or new, to benefit from video promotion.
No matter the size of your business, or whether you started it yesterday or last year, it will benefit from the creation and promotion of your business videos on YouTube.
Keep in mind the video doesn’t have to look like a business video.
It may pertain to something of interest to the viewer with a mention of your website at the end or within the video description area. Any number of views can be generated that will have an impact on your business.
In making your videos, think of them as sharing something important that a friend finds useful. Make the friend or viewer the focus of the video and not your business. Keep in mind that people share useful or fun information, which can make videos go viral in a very short time.
Third Mistake: Thinking that you will just create a commercial. The prerequisite to your videos being successful is engaging with your viewer in a noncommercial way. You have to think of them, and not just about getting them to buy your product.
The purpose of your video is not to sell your product or service to a customer. YouTube viewers want video content that inspires thought, provides information, and furnishes entertainment. During your conception process, make sure that you produce a video that you would want to share with your friends. If you would want to do this, so will your viewers.
And what’s more… a good litmus test is whether you would show this video to friends that you are with at present. If this is not the case, go back to the drawing board and produce a video that will meet these criteria. Great videos should catch the viewers’ attention and captivate them.
The ideal length of time for a video is two and a half minutes all the way up to five minutes. Viewers should enjoy your videos without feeling happy they have ended.
Fourth Mistake: Thinking that you need to produce an expensive video with all the professional bells and whistles. Sometimes, amateurish videos produce equivalent or even better results than professionally produced ones.
Before you invest a lot of money into the production of a flashy video, you need to realize that people would rather watch videos of real people doing real things. To illustrate this, think of a fast talking car salesmen trying to sell you a car with all the extras.
Then think of an ordinary person selling you a great car as they tell you that the back left tire has a slow leak. Most people would buy the car with the slow leaking tire, simply because of the honest presentation.
Most people would leave the slick talking car salesman feeling as if they have been the participant of a con job, even if they did end up buying the car.
This can also extend to an a professional know-it-all, as compared to an average professional who admits to making mistakes at times.
You will be drawn more to a professional who owns up to making mistakes. This is human nature at work that relates to rooting for the ‘underdog’ and most people subconsciously identify with the underdog.